“It’s you!”
Ethan shouted as he pointed at the silver-haired young lady that was mounted on top of a creature, who was half eagle, half lion.
“Ah, Professor Ophelia, perfect timing,” Professor Njal said with a smile. “The candidate you chose is about to get sorted. You must be looking forward to it, right?”
Professor Ophelia’s body stiffened after hearing Professor Njal’s reply.
She had done her best to arrive at the academy as soon as she could, and the moment she arrived at the plaza, the young man, who had accidentally picked up her niece’s train ticket was about to place his palm on the Appraisal Stone.
At that time, the only thought in her mind was to stop the boy at all cost, so she subconsciously shouted with all of her might. Now that she succeeded in stopping the Sorting Ceremony, the next thing that appeared in her head was the question…
What now?
“I’m sorry for barging in on this special occasion in such a manner,” Professor Ophelia said as soon as she regained her composure. “But, there is a very important matter that I need to address with that boy. Young man, come with me, please.”
Ethan sighed in his heart because someone had come to his rescue. However, before he could even take a step to head in Professor Ophelia’s direction, an old, yet firm hand, rested on his shoulders, preventing him from taking a single step.
“Professor Ophelia, that can wait until Ethan finishes the ceremony,” Professor Rinehart replied. “It is very rude to stop the school’s tradition just because you say so.”
“H-Headmaster, I am not stopping the tradition. I just want to have a talk with the boy… err.. Ethan.”
“You can talk to him after the ceremony ends. Or, is there something that you’re not telling us, Professor, hmm?”
The Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy eyed Professor Ophelia with a gaze that made the latter shiver. It was as if she was a small mouse that came face to face with a cat that was about to pounce on her if she uttered another word.
Because of this, Professor Ophelia was at a loss on what to do.
Seeing that her Aunt couldn’t do anything, Alice stepped forward to tell everyone that the boy was only an ordinary person, and accidentally rode the wrong train that brought him to Brynhildr Academy.
However, before she could even say anything, the tip of Professor Ophelia’s wand touched her back.
“Silentium,” Professor Ophelia said in a tone that was barely a whisper, preventing anyone from hearing her.
Immediately, Alice lost her voice and was unable to say what she was going to say no matter how much she tried to speak.
“Dear, it’s no use,” Professor Ophelia whispered in Alice’s ear as she motioned for her niece to stop. “We can’t do anything right now.”
Professor Ophelia lowered her head in resignation because the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy was someone that she couldn’t cross no matter what.
Seeing that the Headmaster was adamant to let Ethan finish the ceremony, she could only accept the fact that she would be punished severely for letting an ordinary mortal enter the grounds of the Academy of Magic.
“Go ahead, Ethan,” Professor Rinehart said with a smile. “Don’t worry. All you need to do is place your hand on that Appraisal Stone and it will be over.”
“B-But Headmaster. I think it is best if I talk to Professor Ophelia. It seems that she really has something very important to tell me,” Ethan replied.
“You can talk to her later,” Professor Rinehart stated as he pointed at the Appraisal Stone behind Ethan. “Come now, the Ceremony has already been delayed enough. There are other first years waiting for their turn.”
Ethan gave a side-long glance to Professor Ophelia, but the latter had her head lowered, not making eye contact with him. Only the silver-haired beauty, who was now unable to talk, glared at him, making him subconsciously take a step back.
“Don’t worry, Ethan,” Professor Rinehart patted the boy’s shoulder. “You’re thinking too much. Everything is going to be fine.”
Before Ethan could even give a reply, the Headmaster of the Academy flicked his wand. A second later, the young man's hand moved by itself and placed it on top of the Appraisal Stone, making him scream internally.
No blazing flames rose up in the air.
No magical creatures appeared to dance in front of everyone.
No magical lights of various colors spread in the surroundings.
All that everyone could see was nothing.
An awkward silence descended upon the Plaza of Beginnings as everyone looked at the Appraisal Stone, and wondered what was wrong with it.
The Professors all frowned. Some of them even squinted their eyes in order to see if there was some kind of magical effect coming out of the Appraisal Stone that they were just unable to see.
A few seconds passed with still nothing happening.
Professor Ophelia sighed in her heart as she looked at the boy who wasn’t supposed to be in the academy, looking awkwardly at the stone in front of him.
At that moment, the black bracelet that had been given to Ethan by the middle-aged lady, who was selling snacks in the train, vibrated.
The vibration was very subtle that even Ethan wasn’t able to feel it due to how anxious he was feeling.
Suddenly, a faint spark appeared above the appraisal stone. The spark lasted for only four seconds before disappearing completely.
“A Dud?” Professor Njal blinked in confusion. “Professor Ophelia chose a Dud?”
The sound of murmurs spread in the surroundings as Professor Rinehart chuckled and patted Ethan’s shoulder.
“Looks like the Dud Manor is getting a new member today,” Professor Rinehart announced.
Over a dozen individuals started to clap their hands and cheer for Ethan. Clearly, they were very happy that they were going to have a new member who would share their suffering.
Yes.
They were the members of the Dud Manor.
The Manor that was designated for those who had very little to almost non-existent magic powers.
Professor Ophelia, who saw this, felt as if she had been spared from being executed by the guillotine.
A Dud might be the lowest member of the magic society, and was almost no different from ordinary humans. However, a Dud is still considered Half a Wizard or Witch, so the Professor who had resigned herself to her fate, felt elated.
‘Fortunately he is a Dud,’ Professor Ophelia looked at the young man who now stood stiffly beside the other four Pillars. ‘Thank the Gods.’
Ethan, who stood at the same place as the other Pillars of the Academy, didn’t share Professor Ophelia’s happiness. In fact, he was feeling very awkward as he endured the gazes of the four people beside him, as they looked at him weirdly.
“Filthy Dud.” Langston snorted. “To think you would share the same honor as me. How infuriating.”
Truth be told, Langston wanted to spit at the Plebeian beside him, but since he was a candidate chosen by a Professor, he didn’t dare to do so.
Although he was a member of a Ducal Family, inside Brynhildr Academy, he couldn’t offend any Professor, especially someone like Professor Ophelia, who had recently became an Honorary Magistratus.
“Now that the Pillars have finished being sorted, may I ask all the First Years to fall in line,” Professor Rinehart stated. “All of you need to be sorted, and after that, we will begin the Initiation Ceremony. I look forward to everyone’s performance.”
Ethan, who was still in a state of shock, and confusion, noticed someone in the long line of First Years, who was staring intently at him. It was impossible for him to not recognize the young lady because he had known her for many years.
‘Eh?’ Ethan blinked as he looked at the young lady he knew very well. ‘What is she doing here?’
The young lady with light-brown hair noticed Ethan’s gaze at her and immediately raised her clenched fist, which made the him subconsciously take a step back.
He didn’t expect that in a Magic Academy that was several miles away from home, he would meet up with his cousin, who often bullied him, whenever she visited their farmhouse during her summer vacations.
After the First Years finished getting sorted by the Appraisal Stone, the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy, clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Now, it is time for the yearly tradition of Brynhildr Academy,” Professor Rinehart with a mischievous smile on his face. “Every year, around this time, the new batch of students in the academy will do the Initiation Ceremony after they have been sorted to their respective Manors.
“This year’s challenge was painstakingly prepared by our Dark Magic Professors. I’m sure that all of you will have fun, so without further delay, I wish all the First Years good luck in their first challenge.”
Professor Rinehart then pointed his wand at the center of the Plaza of Beginnings and said…
“Inceptos Porta Aperiam!”
A second later, a giant blue portal appeared, which almost made Ethan jump back in surprise.
Before he could even understand what just happened, the four teenagers beside him, who were part of the Pillars of the first year, ran towards the portal without any hesitation.
The other First Years did the same, which made Ethan wonder what was going on.
“You should get going too, Ethan,” Professor Rinehart said kindly. “Great rewards will be given to the first ten people that are able to clear this quest.”
“Um, what is this quest, Headmaster?” Ethan inquired. “Can I not take it?”
Professor Rinehart chuckled after hearing Ethan’s words. He then lightly tapped the blue-haired shoulder with his wand with a smile.
“No, everyone must go,” Professor Rinehart replied. “Are you going to go by yourself, or should I help you?”
The blue-haired boy sighed in his heart before walking towards the portal with a look of anxiety on his face.
The students in the plaza looked at him with various expressions, making him feel as if they were all making fun of him.
When Ethan was only a step away from the portal, he took a deep breath before taking that last step to the unknown.
As soon as he entered the portal, it disappeared, leaving the First Years no way out of the challenge that was given to them as their Initiation Ceremony.
—------------
“You’re the last one to come,” A beautiful woman with red hair, and wearing gray clothes said as soon as Ethan appeared in front of her. “Do you have a wand with you? Or would you prefer to use a magic weapon instead? You will need it in order to clear the exams.”
“Wand? Weapon?” Ethan blinked in confusion. “What kind of exam are we doing?”
The beautiful woman smiled as she gave the blue-haired boy a long and hard look.
“Have you ever been to a Dungeon before?” the beautiful woman asked.
“Dungeon? What’s that?” Ethan asked back.
“I see, I understand now,” the beautiful woman smirked. “Well then, choose a weapon of your choice first. After that, I will explain how you will pass this test. Make sure to choose wisely because your life depends on it.”
Ethan didn’t like the way the beautiful professor phrased the words “your life depends on it”. However, since her words had an effect, the blue-haired boy inspected all the weapons that were available in the room one by one.
After seeing everything, he looked back helplessly at the beautiful woman and asked a question.
“D-Do you have a Pitchfork?” Ethan asked.
“A Pitchfork?” The beautiful woman arched an eyebrow. “Why do you need a Pitchfork?”
“I grew up on a farm, and it’s the tool I am most familiar with.”
“I see. Well, if that is what you want then I’ll accommodate you.”
The beautiful Professor smiled as she grabbed something from the air. A minute later, she was holding a round, metallic ball and handed it to the blue-haired boy, who looked at it in confusion.
“This is called a Moulding Ball,” the beautiful Professor explained. “It is made from Magical Cold Iron and will transform into any shape that the user desires. This cost me 200 Gold Coins to make, but I’ll lend it to you free of charge. Now, close your eyes and visualize a pitchfork in your head.”
Ethan obeyed the Professor and closed his eyes. The Moulding Ball in his hand felt cold, and yet, there was a sense of familiarity in it.
A moment later, the metallic ball transformed into an Iron Pitchfork.
Ethan felt the moment the ball transformed, and when he opened his eyes, he was holding a Pitchfork in his hands.
‘A-Amazing,” Ethan thought as he gave the Pitchfork a few practice swings as he tested its weight. ‘It has the right length, weight, and balance. It is as if this Pitchfork was perfectly made for me.’
Seeing how amazed the blue-haired boy was, the beautiful professor wasn’t able to stop herself from giggling.
‘How innocent,’ the Professor thought. ‘It reminded me of the time when I first discovered magic.’
The Professor wanted to reminisce, but she knew that now wasn’t the time. She then began to explain to Ethan what the test was about, and made sure that the teenage boy understood every word of it.
“So, I just have to find the exit in order to clear this test?’ Ethan inquired.
“Yes,” the Professor. replied. “Monsters will be spawning randomly inside the dungeon, and you either run from them, or fight them. The choice is yours to make. This test also has a deadline. After two hours, the test will end and all the students will be kicked out of the Dungeon automatically. So, you don’t have to worry about not being able to get out if you get lost. Just do your best to survive.”
Ethan patted his chest after listening to the Professor’s words. “So, I just need to wait two hours, and I’ll be kicked out of the Dungeon, right?”
“Yes,” the Professor replied. “But, you should do your best, young one. There are some amazing prizes that we prepared this year. They are much better than that Moulding Ball you are carrying right now. Well then, time for you to go. The clock is ticking.”
The Beautiful Professor didn’t even wait for Ethan’s reply and dragged him towards the only door in the room.
“Goodluck, I’m rooting for you!”
Those were the last words that the Professor said before she pushed Ethan through the door, making the latter’s head almost fall headfirst on the ground.
As soon as he regained his balance, the blue-haired boy looked at his surroundings, and came across a young lady with light-brown hair, who was leaning on the wall of the Dungeon.
“Took you long enough,” the young lady walked towards Ethan with a huff. She then placed her hands on her waist as her beautiful green eyes locked onto his face, making Ethan take a subconscious step backwards.
“C-Chloe, fancy meeting you here,” Ethan stuttered. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were a Witch?”
“And why didn’t you tell me that you were a Wizard?” Chloe asked back as she took a step forward, which made Ethan take another step backwards. “If I knew that you were coming to the Academy, I would have gone with you.”
Ethan kept on taking a step back until he felt the wall of the Dungeon pressing against his back. Although he got along very well with Chloe, she was like a wild honey-badger when she got angry and would not hesitate to smack anyone, including him when she felt like it.
The boys in the village where he lived were all afraid of her because she would smack them silly if they teased her, or Ethan whenever they were together.
However, Ethan knew that Chloe was a very kind girl.
She just had this bad habit of punching people when she became embarrassed, especially because their friends called her “Ethan’s Summer Girlfriend”, whenever she visited the farm during her summer break.
“Wait, Chloe, there is a good explanation for this,” Ethan said. “Actually I got here by acc–mph!”
As soon as Ethan was going to say that he got there by accident, he suddenly found himself unable to talk. This was similar to what happened to Alice in the Plaza of Beginnings when her Aunt used a Silencing Spell on her.
Chloe, who saw that something seemed to be wrong with her cousin, lightly tapped his chest with her wand.
A moment later, a faint purple glow shone on Ethan’s chest, which made Chloe frown.
After thinking for a few seconds, she made a gesture for the blue-haired boy to lower his head, so that she could whisper something to him.
“Someone used a special silencing spell on you,” Chloe whispered. “Let’s talk about it later. First, we need to find the exit of this Dungeon.”
Although Ethan was still a bit confused, he nodded his head and agreed with Chloe’s proposal.
“The Professor earlier said that this Dungeon is dangerous,” Ethan said before holding Chloe’s hand. “Let’s go and find the exit together. Stay close to me.”
“Okay,” Chloe replied and allowed herself to be pulled by the blue-haired boy to start exploring the dungeon.
Since Ethan was looking in front of them, he didn’t see the faint blush that appeared on Chloe’s face, as they walked hand in hand in a place where the Undead sought the warmth of the living.
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